Tag: dams
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Should Rivers Have Rights? A Growing Movement Says It’s About Time
Inspired by indigenous views of nature, a movement to grant a form of legal “personhood” to rivers is gaining some ground — a key step, advocates say, in reversing centuries of damage inflicted upon the world’s waterways. The free-flowing Baker River in Chile’s Patagonia region. Permits for a major hydroelectric project on the waterway were…
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Northwest dams agree to spill more water to help salmon, orcas survive
The survival of Puget Sound’s orca population depends on the migration of endangered Chinook salmon. (USFWS) (Courthouse News) Dam operators will send more water spilling over the eight dams along the Snake and Columbia rivers in an effort to help young salmon survive the notoriously deadly trip to the Pacific Ocean. The spill management plan…
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Large hydropower dams ‘not sustainable’ in developing world
Photo: Problems at the Oroville dam in California in 2017 saw 10,000 people evacuated A new study says that many large-scale hydropower projects in Europe and the US have been disastrous for the environment. Dozens of these dams are being removed every year, with many considered dangerous and uneconomic. But the authors fear that the…
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83% decline of freshwater animals underscores need to protect, restore freshwaters
Certain groups of animals are declining at an alarming rate—and none more so than those living in freshwater. This year’s Living Planet Report shows that populations of animals—including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians—plummeted by 60% between 1970 and 2014. But those living in freshwater are experiencing a far more drastic decline: 83% since 1970.…
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Smart Water Policies to Achieve Urban Water Security
Photo: https://pixabay.com/en/helicopter-ride-flight-exciting-1218974/ Traditionally, urban water managers have relied on large-scale, supply-side infrastructural projects to meet increased demands for water. This supply-side approach is under increasing pressure from a variety of mega-trends. To enhance urban water security, water managers are turning toward demand-side management. By Robert C. Brears Traditionally, urban water managers, faced with increasing demand…
